The Game
by Oxymoronic Alliteration
Summary: Tony invites Tim to a ballgame and Tim can't figure out why. Birthday fic for Miss Barbara!


"Tony, are you sure about this? I'm not exactly the baseball type." Tim shifted uncomfortably in his chair and looked around. The other fans sported team colors either in their clothing or—if they were only half-dressed—or painted on their bodies. Some even wore those ridiculously large foam fingers that read "Go Team!"

Tony leaned back in his seat, beer in hand, and dropped his sunglasses down from where they had been resting atop his head. "Relax, McGoo, no one will be able to tell. Just cheer and boo when everyone else does."

Tim sighed, but he didn't complain. He had been shocked when Tony had arrived at his door that morning with two tickets in his hand for the game and asked—or ordered, rather, as that would be a more appropriate term—Tim to join him. He couldn't figure out why Tony would invite him considering he wasn't the biggest sports enthusiast, but Tim figured all of Tony's jock friends couldn't make it and that left him.

"So how long is this thing?" he asked.

"It varies."

"It's hot," Tim grumbled as he fanned himself. He noticed the woman a few rows in front of him holding an electric fan. He envied her.

"Well, it is spring. It usually gets hot this time of year."

"Why do they play baseball in spring anyway?"

"I imagine because it would be hard to run the bases when you're knee-deep in snow. Now stop whining and just enjoy this. The ticket was free, wasn't it?"

Tim remained quiet for most of the game, though now and then he would ask Tony a question about what was happening. He went through about five sodas and braved the stadium's public restroom twice to relieve himself. But try as he might, he couldn't enjoy the game. Aside from being hot, the crowds would go crazy every five minutes, with fans either cheering or screaming obscenities, depending on the situation. And it was boring. Try as he might, Tim couldn't get interested in some guys hitting a ball and then running around a diamond. It was so…monotonous.

Tony, though, was enjoying every moment of it. He didn't jump around and cheer with his fellow fans nor did he join them in screaming angrily at the referee every time he made a call that had a negative impact on their team. He just sat there, beer in hand, and watched the game with great rapture. The only thing that could tear his attention away was the occasional pretty girl who walked by, almost all wearing tiny shorts and an even tinier tank top.

"So, you have fun?" Tony asked, slinging an arm around Tim's shoulders chummily.

He hadn't, but Tim didn't want to sound ungrateful. He mustered up a smile. "It was a pretty good game."

"Hey! Tony!"

Both men turned to see a tall, muscular guy pushing through the throng of people as he made his way toward them. He was dressed like many of the other fans, complete with his face painted in team colors. When he reached them, he offered his hand to Tony's for a high-five.

"Awesome game, huh? Man, I thought we'd lost it until sixth inning."

"Nah, I knew we had it in the bag," Tony said as he returned the high-five. "Oh, Jason, this is Tim McGee, one of the guys I work with."

Tim and Jason shook hands and exchanged the typical "hello"s and "nice to meet you"s. "So you guys were down there?" Jason asked, gesturing to the lower section of bleachers. "Lucky. From where I was sitting the players may as well have been ants running around on the field. Wish I could have been down there."

"Maybe next time," Tony said with a wave as he and Tim veered off in the other direction.

"Was that a friend of yours?" Tim asked as they wove through the crowd.

"Of course, McGee. You think random people just come up to or something? Jason and I worked Baltimore PD together."

"Oh." Tim frowned. "So…why didn't you invite him to come with you?"

"What do you mean? I invited you."

"Yeah, I know that, but I thought that was just because you couldn't find anyone else to go?"

"Me?" Tony scoffed. "Ha! I can always find someone to go. What, you think I'm a loser or something?"

"So why'd you invite me?"

"What's wrong with inviting you? Would you rather I hadn't?"

Tim shrugged. "Like I said, I'm not the baseball type. I'm sure if you'd gone with Jason he would have cheered with you and everything instead of sitting there like a lump."

"Yeah, I'm still not seeing the problem here. You got to see the game and I got to have a friend with me. Win-win, right?"

"Friend?" Tim echoed. He couldn't help but smile at the word. "Did you just call me your friend?"

"I did," Tony replied abashedly, "but don't let it go to your head."

"Wow…thanks, Tony."

"Don't mention it, Probie. Now I've got tickets to the game two weeks from now. I know it's not your thing, but if you want that other ticket it's yours."

Tim considered it. Another long, monotonous baseball game that would take place outside in the blistering D.C. heat while surrounded by loud, crazy, screaming fans.

"Yeah, sure, I'm in."

* * *

**AN:** Thanks for reading!


End file.
